Summer in Auradon
by disneyfan1968
Summary: Summer break has arrived for the four VK's. But it isn't the fun and easy Summer Mal was expecting. A new saga in the What If series.
1. Chapter 1

Summer Break

Summer was just a week away. Mal was finishing up her term at Agrabah Academy, as her friends finished their year at Auradon Prep. King Adam had passed his law that kept Queen Leah from interfering with Mal's education any further, so she was coming back to Auradon Prep in the fall. She already had her classes picked for the fall. Also all first year students were given a volunteer job to preform over the summer, so Mal and her friends were appointed theirs. Mal, Evie and Jay were second year students Carlos would be taking a summer course and if he passed that, even though he was younger than the other three he would be a third year student in the fall as well. They were all looking forward to their assignments, Evie was working for a local dress designer, Carols for an animal shelter, Jay was shadowing the Auradon police, and Mal…Ben's assistant. Mal assumed that Ben picked the assignments for her and her friends, but she wasn't 100% sure. But it meant spending time with Ben over the summer, so she would take it.

So on the last day of classes, Mal moved back into the palace for the summer. Agrubah Academy finished a day before Auradon Prep. So Mal went with the Queen to help pick up her friends and boyfriend. Just as with Winter break, the four VK's would be staying with the King and Queen and Ben in the palace.

When they arrived to meet them, they could see all the parents there to help their children pack up for the summer. Mal and Belle passed Lonnie and her mother.

"Mulan, how are you?" Belle greeted the Emperors prized warrior.

"Well Your highness, and yourself?"  
"Wonderful. Have you met Ben's girlfriend Mal?"  
"I have not, But Lonnie has had nothing but wonderful things to say about her and her friends. It is a pleasure to meet you Mal." Mal shook the hand Mulan offered her.  
"Thank you, Lonnie is a great friend." Mal smiled at Lonnie. "You will stay in touch over the summer right Lonnie?"  
"I have your number, so you know you will. I'll be local anyway, have to do my internship." Lonnie held out her phone.  
"Have a great summer, I might see you around then." Mal and Lonnie hugged.  
"You too, in case we don't see each other." Lonnie and Mal spotted her Isle friends at the same time. "Tell them I will talk to all of them over the summer."  
"I will." Mal knew Jay would receive most of her calls, but she kept that quiet, she wasn't sure what Lonnie's parents knew about her and Jay. Mal saw Belle nod and Mal quickly crossed the common to her friends.

Audrey spotted her and wanted to yell that she wasn't allowed on campus, but her punishment was over as far as the school board was concerned, so she was free to be here, thanks to the vote taken last night at the meeting. Audrey's grandmother on the other hand, didn't bother to keep her mouth shut and marched across the grounds to meet Mal, before she made it to her friends. "I see you took advantage of you temporary stance as Ben's girlfriend to have his father fix you mistakes."  
"I never asked his highness to step in and change the law. That was King Adam's choice. Queen Leah, may I say something, it was what I was trying to say at Family Day before Chad over reacted."  
"Please, let's see what little manners you have." Mal took a deep breath.  
"I was planning to say I am sorry that my mother cursed your daughter. It was wrong of her, but in her defense, she was hurt. Growing up she was friends with your husband. And he grew power hungry and shut her out. Not being included in his life broke her. It brought her to who she is today. I am not saying it was all his fault that she became the mistress of all evil, that was her choice as how she reacted in the situation she was involved in. But I will say this. She is not me, and I had nothing to do with it. The fact that some of the parents here assumed that my friends and I were exactly the same as our parents was an assumption. And maybe a correct one, when we first arrived. But after seeing what Auradon was really like and learning that our parents lied to us about how things were here, guess what we wanted to change. And we did. I have said all I planned to say. Other than you might want to correct Audrey about what really happened when my mother's curse was carried out. You and the rest of the palace were put to sleep not by my mother, but by Flora, Fauna and Merryweather. My mother only followed through with her threat to put Aurora to sleep for 100 years. But if I remember correctly, you were all only asleep for about 24 hours." And with that Mal walked away, feeling for the first time a weight was lifted off her shoulders where Audrey and Queen Leah were concerned. Did she think this was the end of it, no in the least? But she had said her peace, and she felt better.

Ben walked up behind her and pulled her into a warm embrace. "Well said."  
"You heard?" that caused her to look around, and see a great deal of the school had heard. Mal wanted to hide, but she decided to stand tall. "It's really what I needed to say weeks ago, but someone stopped me." She said looking at Chad.

"Yeah, sorry about that." He called as he walked away. The crowd dispersed, and Evie, Jay and Carlos came up. All three clapping Mal on the back.

"Time to go." Belle said joining them. "nice job Mal, well said." She whispered to Mal. "I have to say that was a very adult thing to do."  
"It needed to be said, do I think it did any good, most likely not, but I know I have said what I needed to say."

"Well let's get out of here, by the time we get packed up, it will be time to have supper. Mrs. Potts has been missing you kids."  
"Honestly Belle, I do not understand how you can tolerate these kids?" Aurora said coming up to them. "and if you," She pointed at Mal "Think what you said to my mother fixes anything, you are sadly mistaken."  
"I spoke from my heart, if Queen Leah chooses not to accept that, that isn't my problem. I meant what I said."

"I think that will do Aurora." Belle said. "Mal has closed the book on that issue. It is the past, and a past she had no responsibility for. None of these kids had anything to do with what their parents did."  
"You would think differently if one of these kids was the child of Gaston."  
"I have already suggested to Ben that Gaston's twins come in the next group."

"Really?" Mal asked.

"Yes. But I am not sure Ben is ready to make his choices about the next group."  
"It's on my list of things to look into over the summer Mom." He said. "Everyone ready, I am kind of hungry."

They carried their stuff to the limo and headed to the palace. Their things were brought up to their rooms. In a way the VK's were glad to be home. They knew it wasn't really their home, but for the moment it would do.

"Who is ready for supper?"  
"Yes." The boys and Evie head down stairs and into the small dining room. Mal walks slowly behind her friends.

"Ben, I was wondering about these volunteer jobs we have to do?" She looked at him. "Who chooses these?"  
"Fairy Godmother tries to find the perfect match based on your skills. She thought since your mother ran the Isle, that maybe you would be best to help me. And well you did take Poly Sci, and had experience helping me already."  
"And what was yours?"  
"I was chosen to help my mother with her library. She had spent my first year at Auradon Prep, going through her books looking to see what she no longer needed here, and was ready to have them moved and logged into the schools library."

"Ok I have to ask, What was Audrey's paint things pink?" She teased.

"No actually she had to feed lunches to the poor." Mal laughed.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The first 2 weeks go well. Then Mal wakes up one day with a horrible headache and her eyes hurt. She looked in the mirror over her dresser, and swore her eyes were glowing, she blinked and it was gone. 'Weird that only happens when mother is staring into my eyes, trying to control me.' Mal thought. She decided to say nothing, and went about her day helping Ben with his job. It was nice working together. They really had one on one time together, it was really showing both of them what a real adult relationship might be like.

"Ben?" Mal's voice was full of concern.  
"Yes?" He wondered what was on her mind.

"Can I ask you something important?" She said while pulling another book off the shelves behind him.  
"Of course." He was really worried now, the tone of her voice the cause. But he waited for her to talk, still sitting in his desk, his back to her. He knew that if he actually looked her in the eye, she might not finish her thoughts.

"How are you going to do all this?" She said pointing to the huge pile of folders and scrolls on his desk, "While taking a full course of classes at school and playing tourney next year? This seems like so much work. It looks like a lot more than you had at Winter break." He turned around to face her, and see what she meant.  
"No need to worry, Mal. Mom and Dad are still in a seat of power. I am just sitting equal with them on the throne until I graduate."  
"Oh, so they aren't fully retired?"  
"They are during the summer." He would have gone on but just then, Mal screeched in pain and let go of the book she was holding. At first he thought she dropped it on her foot, but it crashed into a vase across the room. "Mal!"

"I am sorry. My eyes, they hurt and my head." She said stress evident in her voice.

"That's why you asked that question, I have over worked you, I am so sorry." Ben was concerned.

"I have worked way harder than this before…No, you're not."

"Ok, well it's 5:00 anyway, time for dinner." 

The pain went away as quickly as it had come that time, and stayed away through dinner, and a movie. The kids sat in the castle's movie room and watched an old movie that was one of Ben's favorites.

Mal, fell asleep on the couch and Ben tried to carry her up to bed, but he wasn't strong enough, so Jay took over, and put her into her bed. Ben kissed her goodnight and left her. They returned to their other friends, and finished the movie before turning in for the night.

That night Mal sleeps pain free, instead she has a horrible nightmare. It starts out dark, slowly a green light grows. Mal sees what looks like the Dragon's eye, but it's not in her mother's staff. She couldn't see who was holding it, but just before she woke up she heard a deep voice calling her name, "Mal, Mal I command thee."

The next morning Mal is so hard to awaken. Evie came in and "Mal are you up…Oh Wow what happened to you?" Mal looked as if she hadn't slept in weeks.

"E? Where are the boys?"  
"Their room? Mal what's wrong?"  
"I…we need to talk, just us four."  
"I'll get them." She hurries down the hall and grabs Jay and Carlos. They rush in.

"Ok, crap Mal…what is wrong?"  
"I…something is not right. I've had horrible headaches and pain in my eyes, also nightmares that show a green glow. Last night a voice was added to the dream. It feels like someone has the eye. Someone here in Auradon."  
"That's impossible. The eye went back into the forbidden forest, didn't it?"  
"We have no idea. All I know is the other day I woke up and I swear my eyes were glowing."  
"Like when you and your mother stare down?" Jay asked.

"Exactly."  
"M? What does this mean?"  
"Nothing good. And I need help."  
"I'll get Ben." Carlos said.

"No, I need Fairy Godmother."  
"I think that is best." Evie agreed.

"I'll pop over to her office later."  
"Ok."

The day goes on fine until late afternoon. Mal is struck again by a headache and severe eye pain. Without even having time to think, she casts a spell that lifts a vase and flies it at Ben.

"Mal, what's happening?" He turns to see her holding her head in pain, her eyes glowing green.

"Ben get out, I can't control myself, you'll get hurt. Please run, get Fairy Godmother." He grabs his phone and runs into the hall.

"Fairy Godmother, its Ben. Mal…she needs help, magic help. She is casting spells and says she can't control it."  
Just then Bibbity-bobbity-boo, fairy Godmother was there. "Where is she?"  
"Office."

"Mal, look at me. Concentrate on my voice. You can do it." Mal shakes her head no. "Yes you can, listen to me and only me. That's it. Deep breaths, relax. Good."  
Mal collapsed. "Mal." Ben yelled.

"Let her rest. I need my wand. I can do some magic without it, but, not this big." She disappeared and reappeared with the wand. "Something is not right here. Someone is controlling her. I don't know how. I thought only her mother could do that but perhaps with Maleficent gone…maybe her last encounter at the cathedral, left her unprotected, in a way a door is open in her mind."  
"Can you close it?"  
"I am not sure. But I do know I can give her a personal barrier, for now until I can figure out what Maleficent did to her mind."  
"How?"  
"I will place an enchantment on something she wears. Something she always wears."  
"My signet ring."

"Perfect, I know what that means to her, she will never take it off." She says as she waves the wand over Mal's hand. "Ben, if I know Mal, and she finds out about the ring, she will take it off, we need a few more pieces, insurance we'll call it."  
"Yes, the dragon necklace, and that bracelet." He pointed to the necklace on Mal's neck and the leather bracelet. Evie had made her before coming to Auradon. Mal had told him it was the first thing Evie ever made for Mal, and even if she isn't wearing it, she carried it on her. She recast the enchantments on each item. Just in time for Mal to come around. Mal looked at Ben than Fairy Godmother. "What happened?" So they explain. Leaving out the part of the enchantments, they didn't want to scare her.

Mal skips dinner and goes right to her room. When the other three come home, Ben fills them in on what happened. Evie finds her in her room, drawing.

"You ok?"

"I don't know. I wonder how safe everyone is with me around. "  
"Now you know, you just have to fight it. And we will do what we can to figure out who it is." Evie pleaded.

"I am not sure I can do it. I tried today, and it took fairy godmother to help me."

"Mal we are all here for you. You have to let us help you." Jay and Carlos add joining the girls

"I'll try but if it happens again…"  
"We are all here for you." Carlos adds. He crosses the room and picks up the drawing. "What is it?"  
"The staff in my dreams. At first because it was green I thought it was the dragons eye, but now that I have drawn it out, I know it's not."  
"OK. Good, Lonnie is working in the library this summer, I'll have her check it out." Jay said, Evie had no idea Lonnie was back.

"Why is Lonnie back?" Evie wondered but was glad a trusted friend could be called upon.  
"She couldn't do her volunteer work last summer, due to a family issue, so she's here this year."

"Look, we will all keep our eyes open for anything out of place." They look at Mal to find her crying.

"I am so happy we are friends." She puts her hand out as she did at the coronation, the other three joins her quickly. "Us too."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The enchantments work well for the next week or so. One night Mal takes a shower, then heads to bed. She forgot to put any of the enchantments back on. She didn't know they were enchanted, so she had no idea she had done anything wrong. As she sleeps she cast a spell that brought Ben to her bed. She doesn't harm him, doesn't even wake up. Ben just goes back to his room, wondering if he was sleep walking. But less than an hour later, he wakes back up in her bed again. This time he wakes Mal up.

"Mal?"  
"Ben, what are you doing in my room, your mother will…"  
"Mal, this is the second time **you brought me here** …in your sleep."

"But…" She worries that she and her friends will get tossed out because she isn't following the rules about being in each other's rooms with the door shut.  
"But nothing, ok go back to bed."  
He left. Around three am he woke up again in Mal's bed, this time she was on top of him, her hands around his neck, eyes glowing. Ben knew he was in trouble. Ben's shouting wakes Evie.

"Mal, Mal listen to me, come on Mal. Come back to me. You know you don't want to hurt Ben. You love him." That's when Ben notices, she isn't wearing the bracelet or the ring.

"Evie, get my signet ring."  
"What, why would you need that now, really Ben." Evie was shocked that that would be an issue at this critical moment.  
"It's been enchanted to shield her mind."  
"Oh." Evie dove for the ring on her nightstand, and grab's her left hand and replaces it. Immediately Mal's eyes stop glowing.

"Ben?" She asked looking at her hands one on Ben's neck, the other being held by Evie. "What?"  
"You.. It's over."  
"It won't be over until we find out…"  
"Why did you take my ring off?"  
"I took a shower, I guess I forgot to put it back on, why?"  
"Fairy Godmother put an enchantment on it. A spell to block your mind from being controlled."  
"Oh…oh."  
Mal was saddened that it had come to this. A need to protect himself from her. With a spell and a lie. They didn't even tell her they had done such a strong spell on her.

It was then she decided that she would leave until she could find out who was behind this. She would leave the ring behind to draw the villain away. She made a plan, and just had to wait until there was no one in the palace.

Mal kept a small bag packed waiting for the time when she could sneak away. That time came about a week later. The summer was 4 weeks gone and 6 weeks left. Mal worried that she wouldn't figure out who was behind this, and not be able to return to school. The staff were all in a meeting, Ben was in a council meeting, her friends were at their volunteer jobs and Belle and Adam were away, travelling the country. So Mal grabbed her small bag and walked out the door, leaving only a note for Ben behind.

Mal waited until she was clear of the palace, and transported herself to the other side of the country. She looked around to find a place to stay and work. She would need money soon, she had stashed away a few hundred dollars, but she knew it wouldn't last long. In an alley Mal used the transformation spell she had learned from the fairies in her magic class, changing into someone she had never tried before. She had super curly red hair, fair skin and freckles. She had learned to fix her eyes, by carrying colored contacts that made her green eyes brown. So she popped them in.

She left the alley and walked through the streets. As she passed others she worried she would be noticed, but after passing a few strangers, she relaxed. No one knew the difference. Mal looked into the windows of the different shops, looking for a sign they were hiring. Or a place to rent. As if by luck Mal passed a bakery that had a sign stating early morning baker wanted, housing comes with the job. Mal had to laugh, Queen Leah's little home Ec, punishment was going to come in handy after all. It was going to help hide Mal.

Mal walked into the shop and found the shop keeper….Crap it was one of her fairy teachers, Miss Fauna. Mal had never thought to ask them what they did outside of their teaching herself, Jane and Evie. It was then Mal realized she had transported herself right into Audrey's home kingdom. Well, there was no way Ben would look for her here. So she just hoped her transformation would trick Miss Fauna.

"Can I help you pick out a treat deary?"  
"I was actually interested in your job." Mal said, hearing her voice for the first time. It had an accent. Mal found it kind of cute, and definatly would help her disguise.

"Can you bake…?" She was looking for Mal's name, and she had to think fast.

"Annie." Ben's other girlfriend, the little five-year-old niece of Lumiere, was the first name she thought of.

"Annie. Can you bake?"  
"Yes, Madame. Breads, rolls and pastries. Also cookies and cakes."  
"Ok, I need the baking started at 3 am as I open at 6. I provide a room over the store. There is furniture there. I assume you are new to town?"  
"Yes, just in from…" She quickly provided a cover story about being from Queen Merida's land since her accent seemed to sound like that. She was moving away from home because her parents wanted her to take over the family farm, and she wasn't into farming. Fauna brought it.

"'I'll give you a week trial. And we will go from there. I have a small kitchen, feel free to make whatever meal you can find. Then go get settled in. I will show you the kitchen, supplies and the baking list before I head home. It will be nice to sleep at home for a change."  
Mal was surprised at how trusting Fauna was, but Mal knew she was trusting.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Back at the palace, Evie came home first, and couldn't find Mal anywhere. She checked her room, that was where she found Mal's cell phone on the table. She came back in to the hall to find Gizelle. "Have you seen Lady Mal?" Evie asked her.

"No, Princess Evie, sorry. We had our monthly employee meeting this afternoon. I haven't seen Lady Mal since breakfast."  
"Thank you Gizelle, oh is King Ben around?"  
"Not yet, your highness, his meetings usually don't finish until dinner time. But Masters Jay and Carlos just came in."  
"Great, thank you again, if you see Lady Mal, make sure she knows I am looking for her."  
"Of course."  
Evie, Jay and Carlos searched every inch on the castle, except Ben's office, that was locked, so they knew Mal wasn't in there. She didn't have a key. Evie even tried her mirror, and nothing. They were getting concerned now. They were pacing the front hall when Ben came in. Evie ran up to him. "Ben, please tell me…Mal isn't with you is she?"  
"No. Wait she's not here?"  
"No and no one has seen her since breakfast. Ben I am worried. I found her phone on the table by her bed. And her spell book…it isn't in its hiding place."  
"Let's go into my office, and call fairy godmother. There doesn't look like a struggle happened, so maybe she just went to see her. I know this person controlling her was really bothering her." They entered the office to find a single red rose sitting on the desk in a vase. Ben's signet ring laced around the stem. A note leaned against the vase.

My dearest Ben.

I cannot stay here knowing that I need a spell to protect you from me. I can't be the one to hurt you, well physically. I know my leaving will hurt you emotionally, but you can live through that, my harming you, well you may not live through that. Please understand that I have to leave, and as of right now, I have no idea where I am going. I left the ring behind, to draw the person who is controlling me, away from you. This way you are safe. When I figure out who this is doing this to me, and I fix it, I will be back, if you'll have me. Please have Jay and Carlos look after you and Evie. Tell them I love them. And most of all, I love you Ben that's why I did this.

With all my Heart

Mal

Ps. Tell Evie the mirror won't help I have a blocking spell on me.

Ben dropped into his chair. The ring fell out of his hand. Evie was in tears. Jay and Carlos were running out the door, trying to figure out where to start looking for Mal first. After an hour of just staring at the rose, Ben finally came around enough to make a few calls. None of his friends had seen Mal in their countries. His last call was to Fairy Godmother.

"Hello Ben, Dear, what can I do for you?"  
"Mal…she's run off. Worried her being around me will cause me harm. She left the ring."  
"I will be right there." Fairy Godmother popped right over. She read the note.

"Ok, so she left the ring behind, what about the necklace and the bracelet?" Ben had forgotten about them. He quickly explained to Evie that they were also spelled, like his ring.

"Evie go check her room to see if she took her dragon necklace and the leather bracelet you made her before you came here."  
"I…I have the dragon necklace. Mal let me borrow it. I was working on a new dress for her."  
"Ok, well hopefully she took the bracelet." Ben said. They hurried to her room, there was no sign of it. They could only hope she had it with her since she never went anywhere without it.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Mal settled in for the night, setting her alarm for 2:30. The baking list was all things she knew how to make. So she looked forward to starting work.

Mal woke at 2:30, transformed into Annie, and started her list. She didn't want to get her jewelry dirty especially the leather bracelet Evie had made her, so she put it into the pocket of her apron. Mal was so busy baking she had no idea it was time for Miss Fauna to arrive. She looked up and saw her standing there. She looked at the stocked shelves. "Very nice dear. Any trouble?"  
"No none at all. I just got totally lost in the work."  
"MMM, delicious." She said munching on a roll. "This might be just the perfect fit I need. Well, dear, finish up your work, and the rest of the day is yours. I close up at 4 in the afternoon." She said and went into the other room to start selling.

Mal worked hard every morning for Fauna. Fauna, not figuring out who was Mal. After Fauna left, Mal would continue to search for a solution to her problem. So far the mystery controller had left her alone. She could only hope it was because she was away from Ben. After a week of searching over and over her mother's Spell book, Mal decided to search the house where the bakery was. The basement held baking supplies. Mal had been down there plenty of times. So she searched the other rooms, then the attic. There she struck gold. A box marked Spell Books. She opened it to find about a dozen books. Mal took one out and took it back to her room.

After three weeks of reading spell books, Mal had read them all at least twice, and still nothing. She was doing an excellent job baking and keeping up her Annie persona. It was on a Monday exactly two weeks before school was to start when Evie wandered into the bakery. Fauna looked up to see Evie. "Evie dear, what brings you to my side of Auradon?" Evie seemed to be relieved it was Miss Fauna.  
"Mal."  
"Mal? What about her?" Fairy Godmother had suggested that no one find out about Mal's being missing, and Evie was tired of wandering around from town to town looking for Mal.

"Did you know about Mal's being controlled by someone or something." Evie asked her  
"Yes, she tried to hurt Ben." Fauna admitted. "Fairy Godmother has, had us looking into it all summer."  
"Well she ran off as not to hurt him."  
"I…I see." It was then Fauna came to realize, Annie was Mal. She could cook, arrived around the time Evie said Mal disappeared and she kept to herself. "Well Evie I am sorry I haven't seen Mal. But I will make sure if I find her I will send her home."  
"Thank you."  
"You look hungry dear. Take anything you'd like."  
"Thank you again Miss Fauna. If you talk to your sisters can you tell them to keep an eye out for Mal. Fairy Godmother and Ben agreed to keep Mal's being missing under wraps so no one hurts her, but with her ability to transform her appearance it's impossible to know who she could be or where."  
"I will share the information with them. And anything I can find out I will look into." Evie grabbed a few cookies, and left.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Annie come here please." Fauna said. She checked the street, seeing no one, she changed the sign to closed, and closed the shade. Mal came out, and wondered what was wrong. "I know who you are Mal." Mal transformed back into herself.

"How, when?"  
"Evie was just here. Why didn't you just ask me for help?"  
"Because you would have sent me back. I can't hurt Ben. Whoever is controlling me actually controlled my magic. I threw vases at Ben, then one time I actually tried to chock him, after I transported him into my bed. Whoever is doing this understands my magic and knows how to control it. I…I left Ben behind to save him."  
"Ok. So what do we know?" She said sitting at the table and having Mal sit down with her.

"I have searched all your spell books…" She admitted.  
"That's fine. Anything?" Fauna was happy that Mal was actually trying to find a solution, instead of just running from her problem.  
"Only that whoever is controlling me, understands my magic. That's all I figured out. I do know whoever it is a man."  
"A man?"  
"Yes. In a dream, he spoke to me. I heard the voice clearly and it was male. He has some type of staff that glows green. And it's not only in a dream state that he can control me. I was wide awake when I spelled the vase and threw it at Ben."  
"Now we work on narrowing down the suspects. Do you think it's someone you knew of the isle?"  
"How, the hole was closed within an hour of Jane's making it. And it was in the top. There is no way anyone else could have transformed and… Dr. Facilier. He could transform. HE could have gotten out! I heard his voice at school daily. I should have recognized it before. And he always said his staff glowed when he…" She ran upstairs to her room and grabbed the sketch she did from her dream. "IT is him! Now that I have a name, I recognize his staff." She plopped it down onto the table.

"And he is a witch doctor who works through voodoo. And your teacher?"  
"He was the head master. I would imagine he knew about all of us. How could I have been so stupid. I never thought anyone left the isle, assumed no one could have escaped."  
"Mal, why you?"  
"I am not sure, all I can think of is my mother left me open to be controlled. I just don't know how she did it, and how Dr. F would have known. Unless he left after seeing the broadcast. But still…"  
"Mal…I need to talk to Fairy Godmother, and she will know you are with me, there is no way I can keep this from her."  
"I understand. And now that I have an idea who is after me I can research him."

"Come with me, let's go see her." Mal knew it was the best way talk to her safely. They popped over to Fairy Godmothers home. Jane practically attacked Mal.

"Oh thank goodness, Carlos has been beside himself worrying about you." She said checking Mal over. "Where have you been, wait till they see you." She grabbed her phone.

"NO wait please Jane. I need to talk to your mom first. Don't tell them yet. I was safe I was in disguise working for Miss Fauna. She only realized it was me today after Evie came in."  
"Mal…" Fairy Godmother said. "Fauna told me what you two figured out. It is very likely that Dr. Facilier could have gotten off the isle. They sent the census workers over early to see who could be missing, and DR. F was one of them, the other, we have since found out was just not in town…Cruella."  
"Oh she was at the spa." Mal pointed out.

"Really?" They were surprised that something like that exsisted. Mal had shared with them what Isle life was like.  
"It's a muddy hot spring in the middle of the isle, that no one knows where it is and she will go there and relax."  
"Oh. Interesting." She picked up her phone.

"Please, I don't want to get Ben killed over this."  
"Mal…why did you leave your ring behind?" She asked seeing the leather bracelet on her wrist. She knew why Facilier never found her, that her protection spell was in fact still working.

"I wanted to draw whoever it was away from Ben." Mal admitted.

"That wouldn't have happened. You are still protected."  
"How I left…what else did you spell?" Mal asked figuring out that Fairy Godmother knew her better than she knew herself.  
"That bracelet and your dragon necklace. But I guess Evie had the necklace when you left."  
"Yes. I have never had this away from me since I left the isle. Even if it's not on my arm, its on me somewhere."  
"Ok. Look Mal…Ben has been ill over your leaving. We need to call him, please."  
"Go ahead, at least we have an idea what's going on. It won't stop until Dr. F is caught though, and if he's here, he is in the shadows. He'll be hard to find."  
"Then we'll draw him out. But until then, you need to go home."  
"Ben? Fairy Godmother, I have news. Yes, yes we found her. She's fine she was in hiding, no I'll send her over in a few minutes I promise. Listen to me. It's Dr. Facilier. HE got off the isle. I just got the census, and he is missing."  
"Ok , we will put out a bulletin for him, now please send Mal home."

"Mal." She said and Mal transported to the palace.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

She arrived in the front hallway. Ben walked out of the office, and just stared at her for a moment. Then she ran into his arms. He just held her tightly. Evie, happened to be heading to the kitchen, when she spotted them and before she thought she screamed. "MAL!" Everyone came running. She was enveloped in a huge hug. Once they let her go, Ben dragged her into his office, Mal thought,' here it comes, he is going to yell at me, break up with me.' But no instead he showed her the rose she left the ring on. It still bloomed, even though it had been placed there 9 week prior. Ben removed the ring and placed it back onto Mal's left hand. As soon as the ring slid back into its rightful place on her left hand, the rose promptly withered and died. They just watched it happen. Ben made her sit down. "Spill it." Jay barked, as they had followed the couple in, to keep the calm between them. When nothing came that needed to be calmed, they wanted information.

"I thought if I left he would follow me. I had no idea I was still wearing an enchantment. I had no idea, he might not be able to find me. I was chocking you Ben, I couldn't let it happen again. To him, to Jay, Evie, any of you. I wasn't safe to be around, and if the only way I could stay was to wear an enchantment, what good was I?"  
"You were wanted and needed." Belle said. "I understand where you thought you were right Mal, but only for your own good. You…you only thought of yourself. It was rather selfish of you." She scolded, and Mal knew she deserved it.

"You are right. And I was wrong. I am sorry. I am sorry I made you worry, I am sorry I made you ill Ben. I am sorry I spent our first summer away from you all. But I am not sorry for trying to protect those I love in the only way I thought was best." She could no longer look at their faces all filled with, not anger, but disappointment, a look Mal knew all too well.  
"We love you Mal, that's why we wanted you safe." Adam added.

"Yeah, I get that, and I know I was wrong. I am very used to taking care of myself. I have never had to worry about anyone else's feelings, and I just had no idea." She was in tears at this point. Ben hugged her tightly.

"I am so sorry you had that past, but please, you're here now, and we, all of us, are a team. Got it?"  
"I do." Mal said trying to look away, but Ben held her face still to look her in the eyes.

"Good, now what do we know other than who it is and that he escaped."  
"He is a voodoo witch doctor. He may be able change his appearance, he will hide in the shadows and can get the dead to talk to him. He knew I left, and he will know I am back. He will know I am on to him and that I can't be touched. We need to keep an eye on my enchantments, and once we go back to school, we will need to keep an eye on anyone new. He may be able to disguise himself as someone else."  
"Could he be here now?"  
"No, but his shadows are most likely here." Evie added. "Mirror mirror can you show me where Dr. F is right now?" She waited, and they saw a man in the shadows, but he wasn't near the castle, he was in a town somewhere. They weren't sure who he was after, then Ben figured it out. "He's going after Tiana and her family." Adam quickly called them and warned them he was off the isle. They sent their guards out. They missed him.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"It's late, why don't we leave Mal and Ben alone for a few minutes." Belle said opening the door to the office.

"Thanks mom." They all hugged Mal one more time and went to bed. "Mal." Ben said.  
"I…I did it because I love you Ben, you know that right?"  
"I do. But I wish you had trusted me."  
"I made a mistake, and I will pay forever for it. I ruined our first summer together." The regret in her voice, broke him. Whatever anger he held for her leaving just floated away, for the time being.  
"We'll have more, many more. Come here." She crossed the room to where he stood looking out his window at the Isle. She placed an arm around his waist and he returned the gesture. "I waited for you to help me pick the names of the new kids. Jay, Carlos and Evie tried to help. Well the boys mainly. Evie really didn't know anyone."  
"True. Dr. F has a daughter Ben, maybe if we have Freddie that might draw him out."  
"Funny thing about that, even before we found out it was him, she was on the list. Jay said she is a master manipulator." He looked at Mal, reminding her how she had used words to get what she had wanted when she first came to Auradon also. Mal looked away, knowing he was right.  
"Like her father. I don't know who her mother was, but it's rumored that she was also another voodoo artist, it's possible Freddie could have a strong bit of magic."  
"That will be considered. The others are the Gaston Twins."  
"Well your mom did kind of bring that on herself." Mal teased.

"She did. And I need another girl. I wanted to balance it again two boys two girls."  
"Who do you have?"

"The boys suggested Harriet Hook."  
"That might be tough to get her here without Sammy Smee and her other gang members."  
"Well that was the issue they brought up. Does Freddie have any friends…I mean someone she hangs with?"  
"Harriet. On the rare occasions Harriet isn't with Sammy Smee and the rest of her father's pirate gangs' kids. I am not sure Harriet will come without her pack. But then again Freddie might be just the ticket to get her here. I wonder if Freddie knows her father is over here?"  
"They need their parent's permission and we need to see the parent sign it. So that could be the ticket to see what she comes up with, and how much she can control people into helping."  
"A good point." She smiled at him.

HE pulled her close and kissed her. It was a deep kiss of passion and loss. Mal could tell she had hurt him deeply in her leaving, and she can only hope that she could heal the hurt she left in him by leaving. But first she needed to know where she stood with Ben.

"How bad did I mess us up Ben?"  
"Trust Mal. You didn't trust me."  
"It wasn't that I didn't trust you, I love you. And well…I have never loved anyone before. The need to protect you was so strong, I couldn't fight it." She smiled and patted his arm, she needed him to know she left because of herself, not to hurt him at least not physically. "I hurt you. I tried to kill you. There was no way I could let him try that again! And you couldn't trust me enough to tell me about the enchantments. That hurt me Ben." Ben looked at the floor, he knew she was right, they both had a bit of trouble with trust. He couldn't trust her with the truth about the enhancements and she couldn't trust him with her fears about hurting him, or someone else.

"You are right, we both hurt each other. It's time for us to make an agreement." Ben took the first step.  
"Go on?" She wasn't sure where he was going, but if it brought them back to where they were before she left she would do anything to fix it.

"No more lies, no more hiding, no more pretending."  
"I can agree to that. Is there anything you need to know? Anything I haven't mentioned you'd like to know."  
"Tell me about the isle. The truth."  
"It wasn't great. I mean honestly Ben, it isn't a great story to tell."  
"MAL." He warned, and it wasn't in a playful tone.

"OK. Look we all agreed not to talk about it when we came over, but we have since agree to answer any questions anyone ever asked. We weren't looking for pity, so we agreed to leave the isle out of it."  
"I understand that, but I need to know what made you, you."  
"Yeah, I guess you do. It's only fair since I know all about you and where you come from." Mal knew she was about to tell everything. Everything that made her who she was, unloved and guarded. Well now she was loved, but still guarded. And this confession should help her break through the latter. And they both need it.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Mal took a deep breath and slowly let it out, she closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she tried to look Ben in the eyes while she told her story, but she found it hard.

"So life on the isle. The dome made it gray. I mean I knew day from night, but there were no bright sunny days like there are here. There was no clean water, no good food. It was all the rejects from here. I stole just about everything I ate or drank for most of my life. What I drank most of the time was dark black coffee that was thick as mud. We ate rotten apples, moldy bread and stale crackers. Hardly any sweets, and if they came in they were cracked or stale. Nothing was fresh. Even what was made on the isle tasted awful because of the old ingredients and unclear water. There were no seasons, it was always somewhere in the 70's. The air was stale for lack of a better term, it had an odor about it. I never noticed it until I came here, and we went to the forest. That air was so fresh compared to the isle. Our trees weren't bright green. The only colors that weren't dark and dank, were in the clothing that came over from here, and the odd cans of spray paint I found to use to tag my mother's pictures everywhere. There were no cameras, no phones, no internet. We only got two channels. A shopping channel and the Auradon Network News. I had no tv at all. Mother HATES electronics. No music, unless we made our own. I lived in an old run down castle like building called Bargain Castle. Evie lived on the edge of town in another large castle like home. Evie and I were lucky, we actually had a bedroom. Jay lived in his father's shop. He slept on the floor of the shop on a pile of dirty used rugs. Carlos lived in his mother's closet. The fur one. It had fur coats, but it also had fur traps, and smelled like rotting animals. School went year round because we never went. We had no holidays, we had no days off. We had no birthdays, especially not after the one Evie's mother threw. It was the one and only one to ever happen on the isle. And when she didn't invite me, my mother blew up. That's why Evie and I weren't friends. Evil Queen and Evie were sent into exile by my mother." She looked at him and he was listening closely. The fact that his face showed no expression gave Mal the courage to go on. HE neither showed anger in what his father had done, nor pity for her life.

"Let's sit please." He nods and they sit on the couch in his office. That was the back ground, now was the hard part to admit. "My mother banned Evil Queen and Evie to their castle for life, but after 10 years Evil Queen thought my mother had forgotten. My mother never forgets, she just lets you think that until she either uses it against you, or seeks her revenge." Mal looked at him again, and could see a little confusion in his expression. "Let me backtrack to bring you up to date about how the four of us came to be a gang, we weren't considered friends on the isle. You don't really have friendships there. Of the four of us, I have known Jay since we started school when were 5. Carlos started a few years later. Evie had only been in school a few weeks when her mother threw that birthday party that got them banned for life, Carlos never got to meet Evie. Jay and I were a grade above her because Evil Queen didn't start her in school at 5 like we did, so we didn't run into her. Jay was invited to the party, but Evil Queen invitied every kid on the isle, except me, but we went over that. So to lead us up to coming here to Auradon. Evie had just returned to school, to coming out in public, about two months before you called for us to come over here. So on the night she came back to school I had Carlos throw a party, a party that I was going to use to play an awful trick on Evie, but it didn't really work out the way I wanted it too. I had tricked Evie into Carlos' bedroom, you know, Cruella's closet. Carlos felt awful for her and let her out. Carlos made friends with Evie first, he felt sorry for her. His mother was probably the most physically abusive of the four of them. My mother was neglectful, but she never really hurt me…well not all the time. Not like Carlos." Mal stopped for a minute to regain her thoughts, realizing she was babbling and the story was starting to wander. And this was the part of the story where Mal worried about angering Ben once more, but she promised truth, and he needed to know the whole story.

"Carlos was into electronics. At the party I had him throw at his house, he was showing Evie one of his inventions. He invented it to try and get other channels on the tv. He wasn't trying to do anything to the dome, that was never his intent, but he thinks he broke through dome, if only for a few moments. Ben what I am going to tell you now…its bad. Really bad, we did something awful. My mother spent the entire 20 years she was on the isle looking for a way off. A few nights after the party my mother's familiar, Diablo, came back to life. When they were sent to the isle he was stone. Carlos' machine allowed enough magic in to reanimate Diablo. He flew to see my mother and told her where the Dragon's eye was hidden."  
"Hidden?"  
"When the villians were sent to the isle, things were done to their magical accessories some kept here in the museum, others sent into exile just the same as the villians were. Evil Queen's mirror was cracked and shrunk, and to torment her, given back to her. The Dragons Eye, my mother's wand for lack of a better term for it, was sent to somewhere on the isle. My mother spent the whole 20 years looking for it. Why, I don't know, it wasn't useful to her without magic. Well that little window Carlos made by accident, let in just enough magic to reanimate Diablo and to allow him to locate my mother. He was left near the Eye, and he saw that it had glowed, if only for a moment. It gained enough magic to put up its protection spell again." Ben looked at her, still listening, but unsure where the story was going or what it had to do with Mal. And how this was so bad.

"I came home from school the day Diablo returned, and my mother was waiting for me. She had tasked me to find the eye. Well it was more like an order. Diablo told her where it was, so she told me. I was left, at not quite 16 years old to go into the forbidden forest and retrieve her staff. If I didn't find it, I wasn't to ever return home again. I convinced Jay to come with me and somehow, Carlos and Evie tagged along. We hiked through the forbidden forest, faced many challenges, but we found the eye. I knew the risks of touching the eye, 100 years of sleeping. I was safe to touch it because I was a fairy, but if anyone else touched it, night-night. Well my mother didn't trust me to trick her or any of the others so she had the crow follow me. And …she was right, I couldn't allow Evie to touch it. When I grabbed it, it knocked me out when I came too, the staff was gone, and no one knew how or where. We walked back to town. I knew my life was over, I had, had it in my hand and lost it."  
"But she had it…Jay touched it.." Ben was confused.  
"Yes. Diablo had taken it from me. He was ordered to take it from whomever had it. And to tell her who touched it. She was furious at me for not tricking Evie, or any of the others into touching it. My saving grace was being called to Auradon. As for Jay touching it here, my mother was also holding it is the only thing I can think of that kept him safe, that kept him from going off to sleep." She stopped and waited for the anger. The disgust. It was, after all, her fault her mother was able to leave the isle. Without the eye her mother wouldn't have been able to leave the isle.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Ben looked at her, the look of pure loss in her face. It broke his heart. But he wondered why? She had done nothing wrong. She had to see that. "Mal, I understand what you are telling me, sort of, why though? To explain why you four are so close?"  
"No." He didn't get it, it was her fault her mother was able to come off the isle, she had brought her the eye, her friends had unwittingly helped her. "Oh Ben it's my fault that my mother could leave the isle. If I hadn't had Carlos throw that party so I could prank Evie, he wouldn't have tested his invention for her and it wouldn't have opened the dome for a moment. It wouldn't have activated the staff or Diablo. No staff, no way for her to leave the isle."  
"Mal, that was all just circumstances that all happened to worked together. You didn't throw that party with any other intention than to prank Evie. Wrong as that was." He looked at her with a look that made her want to crawl into a hole. A look she had never seen from him, to her before. One he had given Audrey a few times.

"Oh I have apologized so many times for that, well after arriving here and realizing how wrong it was, Evie is tired of talking about it."  
"It's true Ben." Evie had come down to see where Mal was, she had been listening to her story for a while now. "And Mal there is no blame on your part. We had no idea, when Carlos activated that contraption of his that he would open the dome, he just thought he'd get a signal to come through, not break through. He was proud of his work and wanted to make me feel better. Don't say it. None of the things we did, were anything other than circumstances that evolved. We didn't set out to make them happen. And honestly, as soon as the dome was opened, you know damn well your mother would have been able to call the staff to her hands no matter where it was on the isle."  
"I never thought about that. I guess your right E. Thank you."  
"Not a problem. And without any of that stuff we went through, we wouldn't be the great friends we are now, so it was worth it to me." She crossed the room and hugged her friend.

"You are so right E." Mal hugged her tighter. "Ok, I am fine, I'll be up soon. I…we are talking."  
"You keep that up." Evie said. She patted Mal's hand, and smiled at Ben. Then walked out the door.

"Evie is right, there is no way you could have known that soon you would be brought here. There was no way you would have known that Jane would grab the wand and break the dome. You may have used words to convince Jane that she needed to look like everyone else to fit in, but it was her choice to grab the wand. You never told her to do that. The only thing you knew was you guys were forced to come here and get the wand. But you didn't take it did you?"  
"That's true I suppose."  
"Not suppose, it is true. You had no way of knowing those events would follow after you found the staff. If she only had the staff on the isle and the dome never cracked, if you never got called over, if you did get the wand to her…all these If's mean possibilities in how future events would happen. Like dominos, if the chain started to fall and one wasn't lined up, it would stop the rest from falling." She looked at him, and he knew he would have to show her what dominos were. He pulled out his phone and brought up a video of dominoes falling. "See what I mean?" She nodded. "If you were that first domino, you started the progression. But the domino in the front, never sees the end of the chain. It never sees what happens after its first strike. And all it does is hit one domino. You only set off to find the staff because your mother made you go. She was that first domino. But not really, maybe it was Evil Queen when she threw that party and didn't invite you, or it could have been Audrey's grandfather for not inviting your mother. There is no way in real life to figure out which domino started a chain once it's all fallen." He pulled up a picture of a series of fallen dominos. "See there is no way to know which one started the chain."  
"I see your point, but my actions added to the chain."  
"Yes, and so did mine and my father's, and Evil Queen and Audrey's grandfather and Jane and so did your mother and so did Carlos and so did Diablo. If you think about it, I was just as guilty. I brought you here, and gave you the opportunity and access to the wand. That gives me just as much blame."  
"I don't think you invited us here to bring the end to Auradon."  
"No, and you're going after the Dragon's eye wasn't done to bring an end to Auradon, it was doing what your mother told you to do. You were sent there before I sent for you, so she had no idea what she was going to do with it after you brought it to her."  
"What I was threatened into doing…I see your point. I never blamed anyone for this but me, but like you said it was one event leading to another. No one event could stand on its own and have the same end result. Ok, that makes sense."  
"It does. Ok. So anyway, time for Bed. We have a lot of work to do tomorrow. We need to notify the new kids they are coming to AP."

Author's note. This is one of my favorite chapters I have ever written.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Mal went to bed that night, and she felt so free. She had never felt so wonderful. The fact that Ben never blamed her for the trouble she brought was a relief, but the way he explained it, was so sweet. And true. Mal slept so soundly for the first time since coming to Auradon. The old expression 'confession is good for the soul.' It's true. She confessed her life before Auradon, and how she felt the whole thing with her mother was all her fault, and he thought otherwise, her worst fear that he would hate her over her giving her mother the Dragon's Eye, was all for not. He never once blamed her.

The next morning, Mal and Ben sat looking over their list of choices. They had picked Ursula's daughter Una as a backup if Harriet Hook didn't want to come over. And the car was dispatched with the invites.

Three hours later he returned, saying he met with all the parents, as ordered he took a picture of each child and parent. Than had them sign off their permission to leave the Isle. Harriet Hook actually agreed. So the four were chosen. Gaston Junior and Gaston the third, Harriet Hook and Freddie Facilier. The limo would be back the day before school started, that was only a week away.

Ben and Mal took the files and went to look them over. They pulled Freddie's out first. Ben pulled out the photo. "That isn't Dr. F. That is one of Hook's pirates, they call him Nutts."  
"Nutts?"  
"He has a thing for coconuts according to Harriet."  
"Ok, so now we know for sure he isn't able to go back and forth, nor does he know Freddie is on her way over here."  
"But I am sure Freddie knows her father is missing, she had less than an hour to find someone to be her father, so she had to be thinking that someone might be looking for him sooner or later. Nutts is usually with Hook in the harbor on the other side of the Isle. They are stuck moored to the docks where the freighters come in. The Jolly Roger can't leave dock. But that is longer than an hour's crossing from where Freddie and Dr. F live, and there are very few cars on the island. Cruella has one, and I am not sure who else has another one, but I can only remember seeing three. Freddie and Dr. F were rather loners, sticking to the shadows. That's why I was surprised that Freddie and Harriet started to hang out the last year I was in Dragon's Hall. I was thinking it was Harriet's way of getting in good with the Headmasters Daughter…ohh that sounds familiar, sorry Jane." Mal apologized to no one. "anyway, whenever Harriet's pirate crew weren't around, Freddie was. It was odd, you never saw Harriet alone."  
"Ok so tell me about Harriet."  
"It's hard to say. I can't tell if she was in charge of the gang of pirates kids, or Sammy Smee was. We will see when she is alone."  
"What makes you say that?"  
"When she is with Freddie, Freddie runs her over so to speak. I mean everything they do is all about Freddie. I just don't know if Freddie is as good at manipulating a situation as Dr. F is, or if Harriet is that weak. If she is that weak, then Sammy is in charge. If that's the case, Harriet left to have a chance to think on her own and she might be someone we can get information out of, if we are careful. Freddie, I do not trust!"  
"And the twins?"  
"Same as their father, they think they are God's gifts to women. They believe women are weak inferiors. And above all they will be here to look for a wife they can control. The girls need to be aware, they will try and talk them into bed. They will want to trap a rich wife, to take over their fortunes. I wouldn't put it past to try and get a girl pregnant."  
"Will they resort to rape?" Ben was shocked.  
"No. They are all about the talk. It is all about ego with them, the hunt and the trophy. Rape to them would be cheating. I..I need to talk to Fairy Godmother, be right back." She popped out before he could answer.

When she arrived at the office, she was alone. "Hello Mal, did you find something?"  
"No. But I have a question. I am worried about the Gaston Boys trying to get the girls here pregnant. Can we spell them, so they can't do that?"  
"I will look into that, that's a good idea. And since you brought it up?"  
"No, Ben and I have never…"  
"I had no right to ask."  
"I know why you did. I wouldn't do that to Ben or his family. And I am sure there are people we know thinking that could be coming down the road. Especially since I wasn't exactly present this summer. If we ever get that close, I will make sure to have an implant. In fact, I should just go ahead and get one."  
"A wise choice."  
"I will make an appointment at the school clinic as soon as possible. I am no way ready to be a parent."  
"Good girl. I will look into that spell. Also have Evie look into her mother's spells, and have her ask Agathe."

"I will, that might be where we have to go. Thank you." She left before Fairy Godmother could ask her anymore.

"Mal, you really need to stop doing that." Ben teased, but she wasn't listening, she was on her phone calling the schools Med center making an appointment. "You sick Mal?"  
"No." True was very freeing so she continued on that path. "I went to Fairy Godmother to see if she or any of my other magic teachers could put a spell on the twins to keep them from getting anyone pregnant, they are looking into it. That got me thinking…I… when we…I don't want any accidents…so I am going to get an implant so we'll be ready."  
"Mal…you are something else."  
"Ok, so I might be accused of thinking of too many things at once."  
"More dominoes." He teased.

"I guess so." She laughed.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The next day Mal, Jay, Evie and Carlos spent the day going over everything they could remember about the four new comers. There was nothing much they could come up with. Then they met with Fairy Godmother about classes for the new comers. The twins would be sophomores having not quite turned 17 yet, nor had they spent much time on their classes. Harriet and Freddie would be Juniors along with Mal, Jay and Evie. Carlos would be considered a conditional Junior, he was one course short, not having finished the course he was taking over the summer, due to worrying about Mal. But as soon as he turned in the final two projects he was missing and if he passed, he would be a junior, even though he is younger.

As a start the new four some would be in remedial goodness and internet safety. History of Auradon, English and a math all grade appropriate. Then they were going to be allowed to choose an elective. Mal and her friends weren't given that chance, and Mal suggested it might be a good idea. They had agreed to allow the new kids time to settle in. And the boys being brothers would room together, and the girls being friends would room together as well. They would be monitored, but allowed to find their own way around, as had Mal and her friends. Mal and her friends would be welcoming, but not smothering. They would offer their friendship, but not force it. They would be allowed to fail or succeed on their own.

After setting up the new kids schedules, Mal and her friends spent the afternoon together just the four of them. They were walking about campus; no one was back until later that week. "Mal, how are you, really?" Evie asked.

"I am actually ok, just really ashamed of the pain I put all you guys through."  
"Look we get it. We understand your thought pattern. Honestly we all agreed we most likely would have done the same." Carlos spoke up. "But, never do it again. We are a team now."  
"Got it. So what did I miss over the summer?"  
"Lonnie has agreed to be Jay's girlfriend, Jay just needs to admit it." Evie looked at Jay with those of get over yourself eyes and just admit it, while Carlos went on. "Fairy Godmother has decided Jane can date. And Doug and Evie are a hot item. Oh and you missed everything cause you broke your leg learning to drive Ben's bike."  
"Oh, I hadn't thought about what you might have to tell people. I guess that's a good story. Better than what I was worried about."

"Oh I think I can tell you that one. And no, Jay got to it with the first people we came across, so no one would have had a chance to think that." Neither boy knew what Mal and Evie were talking about, but that was ok with the girls.  
"It was kind of a quick one. The four of us had gone into town, partly looking for you, and partly to just get Ben out of the palace." Jay provided.

"So we came across Chad and Audrey. Not sure what they were doing, but there they were. And there we were without you." So Evie shared the story.

Flash back to early summer, a week after Mal left.

The four of them were walking in the village, trying to act like they were looking for Mal, to make Ben feel better, but really they were trying to get him outside and interacting with people. Since the moment Mal left, he had locked himself in his office. Belle had begged them to take him out. So they more or less kidnapped him. As they walked through the village they window shopped, and tried to entice Ben into eating something. He had become withdrawn and pretty much ill.

They had been in town about an hour, and Ben was begging to return to the palace, when they turned the corner and pretty much walked into Chad and Audrey. "Well, Well. Three of the VK's and our King. Where is your lady fair?" Audrey taunted.

"She broke her leg." Jay quickly covered, Mal had done it once as a kid, so he wasn't exactly lying.

"Oh, wow, how?" Chad asked, he was actually concerned.

"Fell off, my bike." Ben answered. "I was teaching her how to drive it, and she hit a patch of sand."  
Ben said retelling what happened to him the first time he drove the motor bike.

"Oh poor Mal." Audrey didn't even try to hide her fake sympathy. "So why isn't she here?"  
"She's on crutches, for the rest of the summer. She is castle bound." Ben added.

"Cast goes all the way up. Broke it above the knee." Jay added, making it sound dramatic.

"We'll tell her we hope she gets better soon." Chad said steering Audrey away.

"Ben, it's a broken leg, stop looking like your world is over." Audrey placed the last punch, before walking off with Chad.

"She is right Ben. If we want to convince people Mal is in the castle, and not let people find out there is a villain on the loose, we need to act cool and calm. We need to go on as if Mal is really just stuck at the castle with a broken leg. We need to live that way." Jay said, trying to not only convince Ben, but the rest of them as well.

"Quick thinking by the way Jay." Carlos comments.

"Yea, well she did break it once, long story." Jay said.

"Ok. Ok. I get that, but you have to understand I am …ok, right, we are all hurting by her choice."  
"Look, you may not want to hear this Ben, but she is doing exactly what we would do. It's how we are raised, fight or flight. She couldn't see the enemy to fight, so she ran."  
"So you are saying that you, each of you would, have run as well."  
"Yes." They all admitted.

"Ben, Mal is actually running to protect us. She is actually being very un-isle like. She believes she is protecting instead of hurting." Carlos pointed out. "We weren't raised to think of anyone other than ourselves, and to fear our parents."  
"Fear them?" Ben asked, his eyes wide open.

"Yes, fear them. Speaking for myself, I did everything I was told, for fear of a beating. For Mal it was having to prove to her mother that she was evil enough, yet she never could do right." Carlos provided.

"For me it was finding what my father needed in the shop. I wasn't his son, I was free labor."

"For me it was to be the perfect bride, beauty and talent, but no brains. I was to be a perfect beauty, but not prettier than her. I was to memorize her spells for when someone realized how beautiful I was and released me from the isle. To marry a prince no matter what. She knew how to hurt me, physically, so that it wouldn't ruin my beauty. I have scars in places that can't be seen." She lifted her hair and showed Ben a scar across the hair line of her neck. Evie had never told any of them that before. "That was because I didn't remember two spells that create poisons. Spells I knew then I would never have a chance to use on the isle, and now that I could never bring myself to perform." Evie admitted. Ben wondered what else his friends had been through. What Maleficent had put Mal through.

"We didn't share this for pity Ben. We shared it to help you understand Mal better, us better, how we were brought up to think. How her mind works. Ben, she will not be happy if she knows we told you. We need to tell her this when the time is right, we will tell her."  
"I understand, I don't like it, but I understand."

End of flashback..

"I guess it was time Ben knew what life was really like. I have told him about a lot of things too, well actually how we ended up getting the eye for my mother. He was surprisingly understanding. I thought for sure he would say it was my fault that she was able to come over here and attack the coronation. But I neglected to think it through. I should have known she would have been able to call the eye the minute the dome broke anyway." At least Mal was beginning to understand why Ben wasn't as mad at her as she thought he would have been, her friends had explained to him that's how isle life dictated the situation.  
"It's ok Mal. I guess we all had some confessing to do. At least, Ben won't look at us like we are a charity case. Not that he ever did. His family has always been so kind." Evie adds, knowing as others in Auradon hear about how life really was, they will either pity them or not believe them.  
"He likes us for who we are, and so do I." Mal agrees. "As for you, Evie, you and I will talk later." Mal warned.

Later that night Evie came into Mal's room. She wanted to know why she wanted to talk to her later.  
"so why did you want to talk later?"  
"I wanted to make sure, there weren't any rumors out there about me being pregnant this summer?"  
"No, I think Jay stopped that from happening with what he told Audrey, but I can imagine that she might still be thinking that. We'll know when we see her on move in day. But…that's not everything is it?"  
"NO. Two things both sort of related. I need you and Agathe to research a spell that can keep the Gastons from getting anyone pregnant."  
"We can do that, but what could be related..you aren't?"  
"No. No Ben and I have never…but I am taking a preventative step and getting an implant."  
"Oh….I…I already got one." Evie looked at the floor.

"You…?"  
"No, no, I can barely get Doug to kiss me, no he is way too shy. But I figured, better safe than sorry."  
"Yeah, that's my theory to. Ok good. There is no way I am going to trash Ben's reputation like that, cause you know the whole blame would be placed on me."  
"I can see that. But it's not happening."

"How bad is it?"  
"It's really just kind of like a shot."  
"Oh, not a big deal, good."  
Mal wanted to change the subject. "Are you packed?"  
"Nope. You?"  
"Not even close. I know Belle said feel free to leave anything we want here, that these rooms will always belong to us, but I don't feel right, leaving our things behind."  
"I know what you mean, we have so little from home. I mean I know they got you the rest of your things, but still it wasn't much more, not really. None of us had very much when we came here."  
"she says this is our home now, but it's hard to believe we have a home in a real castle. And we aren't the royal family. It's not really our home."

"true. But it really does feel nice to be included as we are."  
"Yeah." Mal said flopping onto her bed. "how was he really E. While I was gone?"  
"He had good days and bad. The hardest days were days he chose not to go somewhere with us, because you weren't there to go with him. Chad's birthday party, Lonnie's pool party, The summer carnival."  
"I really need to make this up to him."  
"I think he understands now why you left. He might not like it, none of us do, but we get why you did it."  
"Thanks for keeping him safe, Evie."  
"My pleasure. He had good days too Mal. Playing video games with the boys, working, and his fathers birthday."  
"I…I'll be back."  
"Go see him."  
"That's the plan." Mal checked her reflection in the mirror. She was in her pj's and robe, but she still wanted to see him. She needed to see him. She knocked on his door, but he didn't answer. She was about to turn around when she remembered he might not hear her across the sitting room. So she let herself into the room, crossed the sitting room and was about to knock on his door. "Looking for someone?' He asked from behind her. She jumped and he laughed. "sorry didn't mean to startle you. Can I help you?"

"I wanted to talk."  
"Anytime, come sit." He patted his couch and she joined him. He put down the reports he was reading. "What's on you mind?"  
"US." She admitted. "I am still worried that I ruined us."  
"We aren't where we were before you left, no. But ruined, not in the least. I am glad your back." He said pulling her close. Mal was so happy to be in the embrace, she didn't even realize, Ben had been sitting in only his sleep shorts. She snuggled into his embrace, and closed her eyes. "what happened to you out there Mal?"  
"Not much really. I headed for the furthest place in the country, Audrey's family kingdom, not meaning to go there, but that's where I ended up. Saw a job offer sign and before I realized who it was I was face to face with Miss Fauna. But as Annie." He giggled, and whispered into her hair, "my other girlfriend." She nodded. "first name that came to mind. Anyway, the job offered room and board and a small paycheck, but it was just what I needed. So I took it. I got up at 2:30 in the morning and baked from 3-10. The rest of the day was mine. Miss Fauna didn't live there but she stored some of her magic books there, I read them all over and over looking for hints or spells to help. I learned a few new things, but nothing to help me with Facilier. It wasn't until that day Evie came into the shop that Miss Fauna realized I was Mal and not Annie. It was then I told her I had been looking in her books, she wasn't mad. She later admitted she was glad I wasn't just hiding or running away, but at least trying to find a way home. As we talked it out, it was then I realized who it was. We immediately went to see Fairy Godmother, who then sent me home."  
"First off this IS your home. I am touched you consider it that way. All of you. And I am thrilled to hear, you were trying to get back. That makes me feel better." He kissed her head as she snuggled close. They sat there for a long while just holding each other, in fact they fell asleep that way.

Belle found Mal and Ben asleep on his couch. Instead of waking them, she covered them with a blanket. She knew they shouldn't be left alone, but for now, tonight, it would be ok. They were ok.


End file.
